FAQs: USDA

What is the BioPreferred® Program?

Created by the 2002 Farm Bill, the Farm, Security and Rural Energy Act of 2002, the BioPreferred®Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), serves to increase the purchase of biobased products by the federal government by awarding federal procurement preference status to qualifying products. The program was expanded significantly in the 2008 Farm Bill.

Was the BioPreferred® Program terminated?

No. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 did not include funding for the program under provisions extending parts of the 2008 Farm Bill. As a result, USDA has suspended the processing of applications for voluntary certification of biobased products. USDA expects to continue limited activities related to the federal procurement preference program as staff resources allow. All existing biobased product label certifications will remain valid. For information on the current status of the BioPreferred®Program, and answers to frequently asked questions on it, please visit http://www.biopreferred.gov/.